Senate President Bukola Saraki has pledged to contribute to the spinal cord corrective surgery for a six-year-old boy, Ali Ahmadu, ran over by Boko Haram terrorists.
Saraki, according to a statement by his Special Assistant on Public Affairs, Mohammed Isa, made the pledge when the victim was presented to him in Abuja by officials of the Global Initiative for Peace, Love and Care (GIPLC), an NGO spearheading the campaign for his medical care.
While sympathising with Ali and his parents, Saraki promised to mobilise his colleagues to offset the balance of the cost of the treatment after the group has collected donations from members of the public.
The NGO had told Saraki that it had already commenced soliciting donations from corporate bodies and individuals on behalf of the kid.
“This is not just what we must be seen to be doing; this is all about serving people. It will be a great joy for us to have someone like Ali back to normal life. My colleagues and I will contribute whatever the shortfall of what you will raise in form of donations to make sure he is given adequate medical attention.
“Ali is not like many kids that are not fortunate to survive Boko Haram attacks; and as a society that keeps seeking for foreign assistance, we ourselves should be able to do things like this ourselves. This is an opportunity for us to show our compassion to the victims of Boko Haram.
“We will continue to work harder to bring an end to this crisis in the North East so as to bring an end to the issue of humanitarian and food crises there,” Saraki said.
Earlier, GIPLC Coordinator, Nuhu Kwajafa, said young Ali, who hails from Chibok town in Borno State was run over by Boko Haram vehicle when they invaded the town three years ago.
Kwajafa said the NGO, consulted several hospitals in the United States, India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for the treatment of Ali.
A total bill of nine million naira, Kwajafa said, was forwarded by a hospital in UAE for the treatment that prompted a campaign to raise the required funds for the surgery to enable the boy walk again.
